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HNRS HU/SS 2120 Intellectual Traditions — Great Ideas of the West in the Modern Era
COURSE DESCRIPTION

Congratulations on having chosen the ultimate fast-forward, drive-by, high-speed and eclectic (and thus neglectful) crash course on what commonly goes by the Western tradition. Not that anybody knows what that really is, given the multiplicity of approaches to the treasure trove of 500 years of post-Renaissance Western civilization, but we'll give it a try anyway! Joking aside, Honors 2120 offers itself as an interdisciplinary study of the great ideas, philosophical currents and scientific developments that have shaped the, largely European and Anglo-Saxon, West from the Renaissance to the contemporary moment.  In the words of one of our textbook authors: "The modern world view was the outcome of an extraordinary convergence of events, ideas, and figures which, for all their conflicting variety, engendered a profoundly compelling vision of the universe and of the human being's place in it. . . . .  To understand the historical emergence of the modern mind, we . . . shall examine the complexly intermingled cultural epochs known as the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution" (Richard Tarnas 223).


REQUIREMENTS

ATTENDANCE. I expect regular and punctual attendance. Regular attendance will enable you to make regular contributions to our discussions. The more you contribute, the better—both for the intellectual climate of the classroom and for your own learning curve.  By not showing up (on time), you deprive yourself of valuable class discussion, just as you deprive your classmates of your own contributions. If you know that you're going to have to miss some classes, you should drop the course this semester and enroll at another time.

NOTEBOOK. I will ask you to keep a notebook, which should prepare you for class discussion by allowing you to write in advance about our material: At the end of most classes, I will pose a question or suggest a topic that is related to your assigned reading, in which case you should demonstrate that you have thought about a text critically at some length. Alternately—what I really encourage you to do—you can explore the readings on your own (or the unexplored chapters in our books) and develop your own insights, provisional and tentative as they may be. – I will ask you to hand in your typed and stapled notebook three times during the semester. You cannot submit it electronically. Your weekly notebook output should be about two double spaced pages in a reasonable font. Bottom line: notebooks are not essays, but a space of exploration and experimentation. Please take risks! I will read all of your entries in their entirety each time, but please indicate at least one entry (with a big * for example) to which you would like me to respond in detail.
Please click here for some useful student samples: Student Sample


ORAL REPORTS & CLASS FACILITATIONS. I will ask you to give 2 introductory presentations of about 15-20 minutes on a development, figure, or theory on our syllabus (including library research, film footage, and web research), to be followed by a facilitation of our class discussion.  These are the days when you are in charge! Your presentations must be accompanied by a typed handout that you distribute in the class period before your report. The handout should not exceed two pages (one sheet, front and back) and contain the following information:


title of presentation/name of presenter
text(s) you expect your fellow students to study		 a summary of your major ideas and observations
the sources/web sites you have consulted

I will circulate a sign-up sheet for these presentations in class. Please take a plunge! To enhance your learning (and, let's be honest, to kill two birds with one stone, different as these birds may be), I encourage you to build upon your oral reports for your final research paper. Use the class as a testing ground for your ideas!


FINAL ESSAY. You are required to write one 10-12 page paper on any of the issues, figures and larger cultural shifts on our syllabus. Your essay ought to contain a significant research component and allow you to synthesize some of the connections and points of contact you have made in our class. At the end of the course, I will ask you to briefly share your work with your class mates in  5-10 minute project statements. Your final grade will be made up as follows:


Participation  —  20%
Presentations/Facilitations  —  25%		 Notebooks  —  30%
Final Essay  —  25%

PRIMARY LEARNING OUTCOMES

  • critical thinking that is open-minded, objective, and as free as possible from prejudice and presupposition
  • the comprehension of abstract arguments and the ability to move between the general and the particular
  • intellectual curiosity and an appreciation for increased knowledge as a good in and of itself.

Texts and Materials

finger Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind.  Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped Our World View. New York: Ballantine, 1991.
finger Peter Watson, The Modern Mind.  An intellectual history of the 20th century.  New York: Harper Collins, 2001
finger E. L. Doctorow, Homer & Langley (2009 -- an excursion, really, but we will make it work J!)
finger several films, websites, and online handouts on our syllabus & resource page

 

The Prime Directives, a.k.a. The Golden Rules

  • Assignments must be typewritten and are due on the date specified—no exceptions.
  • For reasons of class integrity, and out of consideration of others, do not come late or leave early. For the same reason, I will not be able to accept late work.
  • No electronic submissions, and no cell phones, blueteeth, iPods, and other "electronic devices" (the airline phrase) in class.

Bottom line: Be there or be square = Be there in body and mind!

Please feel free to bring a snack or beverage to recharge your intellectual batteries and to ward off hypoglycemic fantasizing, but munch and imbibe with discretion.


Disability Accommodation: PPM 3-34 notes: "When students seek accommodation in a regularly scheduled course, they have the responsibility to make such requests at the Center for Students with Disabilities (SSD, #181 of Student Services Center) before the beginning of the semester in which the accommodation is being requested. When a student fails to make such arrangements, interim accommodations can be made by the instructor, pending the determination of the request for a permanent accommodation."


Emergency Closure: In the unlikely event of an extended campus closure, we will conduct our course electronically via email and virtual discussion groups.  In this case, please make sure that you check your email account regularly for messages and attachments (in Word, PowerPoint, or audio) coming from me and/or your fellow seminar participants. Such messages may function as lecture substitutes, provide directions for reading and writing assignments, and contain other relevant information. Also make sure that your account has adequate storage capacity for transmitting documents. I will collect your email address and verify its availability during the first week of class. Please let me know by the end of the first week of the semester if you do not have access to a computer and/or the Internet from your home. Thanks.


Core Beliefs: According to PPM 6-22 IV, students are to "determine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with a student's core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, the student should consider dropping the class. A student who finds this solution impracticable may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. This request must be made to the instructor in writing and the student must deliver a copy of the request to the office of the department head. The student's request must articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's beliefs."